Students of Dutch at the University of Münster initiated innovative Dutch-German cultural projects. One highlight was the “Rote Ohren” (Red Ears) exhibition, which featured bilingual erotic stories translated by students. Inspired by the annual Flemish-Dutch competition for the best erotic short stories “Het Rode Oor”, the project ran from October 8 to November 14, 2024, at Café SpecOps. The opening included a pantomime striptease and a chance to listen to the audio stories. On October 24, moderator Willem Bongers-Dek led a discussion with writer Leonore Spee and illustrator Shamisa Debroey about translating erotic imagery and student experiences.
Another project was the German screening of De Bankroet Jazz (2016) on October 23 at the Münster Schloßtheater. This Dutch film, based on Paul Van Ostaijen’s 1920s script and realized in 2016, was accompanied by readings from his work Bezette stad by translator Anna Eble and Bongers-Dek. Shamisa Debroey explained how Van Ostaijen’s work influenced her art, and musical duo Teletext performed a piece inspired by his poem De Aftocht. These projects showcased cross-cultural collaboration, enriching the Dutch-German cultural exchange.
Read more in the report by Christine Koopmann (in Dutch).
(Małgorzata Dowlaszewicz)